i just don't see the disadvantages to charging a fee to drive in downtown Chicago

obviously there have to be some, but of course the press i have seen on this issue is one-sided.

i am all for trying to make us a society less dependent upon oil. i have heard about city planning in england and elsewhere where they just aren't putting in roads that you can drive on (only walkways). now this tax, a way to try and force people to drive less. i am all for it.

first off, i never drive downtown. i always use public transportation (even though it is time consuming and such for those of us who live outside of the general areas around the el's). it is just less stressful and cheaper to buy a $5 day pass then to find public parking for $15-30. and you know what? the el's are generally empty out in the far reaches of the city and the burbs. almost no one makes the same choice as me and i understand that to some extent (cta does usually double my travel time and sometimes increases walking distance). but to some extent, it blows my mind that people don't take advantage of public transportation more, especially with skyrocketing gas prices.

let me add this for all the selohssa who want to jump down my throat about my above statement:

my statement was meant as an invitation to tell me the other side (that is why i put that first sentence in there, admitting that i had only heard one side of the argument)

of course, people here just want to put me down just because of the username instead of having a legitamite conversation about it.

i am going to work. have a good morning all